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South America: NATO's Sixth Continent

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"The plan is to maintain the presence of nearly 2,000 foot-soldiers on the streets of Rio's northern favelas of Complexo do Alemao and Penha on a peacekeeping mission. The peacekeeping forces will have duties similar to that carried out by the 1,300 Brazilian troops in Haiti.."

"Honduras Air Force will fly drones similar to those the US has used in the war in Afghanistan which are fitted with cameras and landscape censors. Soto Cano base (Palmerola) also home to 600 US soldiers, will fly the unmanned plane.."

We speak to you through this open letter (although you probably won't read it or because it doesn't interest you. However, although you may ignore it, although it may not exist, we want to tell you how we, like many of our people, feel today. We tell you Sirs, because years ago you ceased being our brothers and comaneros. You distanced yourselves from the people, and thus you don't know what happens down here below.

You quickly forgot that we sent you into the government not to administrate, but rather to transform and change the lives of the people.. Where is your 'obedience leads' a slogan that was invented by the Zapatistas? Did the people send you there to pact with the right in the Constituent Assembly? Did the people send you there to fill your cabinet with neoliberals, opportunists, incompetents and advisors for international organizations that we never saw in the struggles of the people, in the streets?"

"The more that emerges about this immense tragedy, the more it becomes clear that those who died were victims of a state organized massacre, just as surely as if they had been gunned down by the military death squads that have playes such a bloody role in Honduras recent history.."

"US Joint Chief of Staff Commander General Martin Dempsey visited Columbia on March 29 to announce that within weeks, US military personnel will operate from a military base there with the newly formed Vulcan Task Force. The Vulcan Task Force, which was established in December 2011, has 10,000 soldiers, three mobile brigades and one fixed brigade, operating from a base in Tibu, in the Catatumbo region (North Santander), just two miles from the Venezuela border.

The expansion of counterinsurgency forces in Africa and Latin America is also part of a new national security strategy released by the White House in February.."

"...Canadian readers will be aware that the advancment of democracy is one of the supposed pillars of Stephen Harper's American policy, proudly proclaimed during a state visit to the region in 2007...But Paraguay is yet another example that puts the lie to this claim..."

"While progressives pop firecrackers in celebration of the great victory for Barack Obama's ACA (Advancing Coporate Authority) program - which forcibly delivers customers to some of the most horrendous and inhumane companies in the land and fills the coffers of these heartbreak cartels with public loot - another one of the president's landmark achievements continues to build up an enduring legacy for his visionary leadership.

We refer of course to the living hell he has helped make in Honduras..."

"...The undersigned collectives, organizations and people declare the following towards weaving a coordinated initiative of popular resistance. We believe that it is an urgent priority, to accompany and support the Frente Unido para la Defensa de la Democracia (FDD) and the expressed desires of the people of Paraguay in their agenda of autonomous resistance to the occupation of capital, of which the recent coup is an expression.

We join our autonomous resistances with theirs. We call on those who share that same desire and commitment to join this collective initiative, sign on to this letter and consolidate the popular resistance and solidarity required..."

"...Since Franco was named president, he has agreed to re-initiate negotiations with Montreal-based Rio Tinto Alcan. While Rio Tinto Alcan represents the biggest Canadian interest in Paraguay, it is far from the only one..."